Engineers from NASA and Boeing have added cryogenic propellants to the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), marking an important milestone in the development of this advanced rocket.
That’s seven, one more to go.
NASA is in the midst of core SLS Green Run tests, a series of tests to prepare the missile for a highly anticipated actual launch. The latest test, conducted Sunday at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, was dubbed the “wet dress rehearsal,” in which engineers loaded more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants into the rocket’s tanks. The propellant was then checked and discarded, “bringing the stage to a safe condition”, according to to a NASA statement.
With this seventh Green Run test completed, NASA can now look ahead to the eighth and final test, in which all four RS-25 engines will be fired for more than eight minutes. This test is the basis for certification and the beginning of the Artemis era. NASA hopes to launch SLS, without crew, in November 2021.
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The 212-meter SLS rocket, with its massive four-engined nuclear stage, is an integral part of the Artemis program. The current plan to send astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024 could be disrupted if the SLS program is not delivered on time.
Propellant for SLS consists of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Together, this propellant serves as the fuel and as the oxidant needed to burn the fuel. The chemicals are cooled to ultra-low temperatures to keep the propellant in a compact liquid form. Six inland vessels provided the required propellant for the test, a feat made possible thanks to a network of waterways in the region. Refueling was done when the SLS nuclear missile portion was stabilized by the facility’s B-2 test rig.
NASA and Boeing engineers closely monitored all base systems during the test. A preliminary look at the data suggests that the “stage performed well during propellant loading and replenishment,” NASA said.
But the test was not perfect. The plan was to simulate an actual countdown with propellant in the core, but the test ended abruptly when the clock reached T-33 seconds, for reasons not yet known. The “core stage and B-2 test bench are in great shape, and it doesn’t appear to be a problem with the hardware,” explains NASA, adding that the “team is evaluating data to determine the exact cause of the early shutdown. to establish. . “
Despite this apparent non-issue, NASA will now proceed with the eighth Green Run test, which should be much more exciting than propellant loading. Indeed, we are itching to see this monster set on fire, even if it has to stay on the ground. At least for now.